File Open - shortcut to folder (Word97)

I thought that this should work, but it doesn't, not quite the way I'd expected.

I wanted a quick way to access a deeply-nested folder on a short-term basis - say for six weeks.

I have a folder C:Greaves which contains everything I do on a commercial basis.

Within that folder I have
<pre>C:GreavesAdmin -- for administrative stuff
C:GreavesClients -- for clients; not enough active folders, but still ...
C:GreavesProducts -- subdivided into folders, one for each template application
</pre>

and so on.

In Word97 I have made C:GreavesAdmin the default documents folder, so that if I unwittingly save a document without thinking clearly, the document will be stored in a general folder, and can be moved at a later date. At least it's not dropping into MyDocuments.

Now I am working on a product called N911, so I have a folder "C:GreavesProductsN911", and a small part of that project is known as "Division 42", so today, and for the next few weeks, I will be working off and on within "C:GreavesProductsN91142Div".

Because C:GreavesAdmin is my default folder, a File, Open from Word97 starts off in C:GreavesAdmin. So I made a shortcut to C:GreavesProductsN91142Div and placed it in C:GreavesAdmin, reasoning that a File Open would give me a one-click option to jump into the current product folder.

Sad to relate, the Shortcut is NOT a folder, so it does not appear with the other folders of C:GreavesAdmin, but appears under the letter "S" within the local files of C:GreavesAdmin.

Renaming the shortcut from "" to "__" causes it to slide to the head of the file list, thus appearing at the end of the folder list.

I guess that this behaviour merely illustrates that a shortcut is a file, just as a folder is a file, and a shortcut to a folder is still just a shortcut, and is not, and never will be, a folder.

Still, it's disappointing.

OTOH renaming with "__" is a small price to pay for saving the navigation through my directory tree.

Re: File Open - shortcut to folder (Word97)

HI Chris:
Instead of a shortcut, have you considered making a registry change to change the File/Open dialog box. I used the PlacesBar from WOPR, which used to be available free, but I don't think it is any more. However, the registry can be changed. See the attached screenshot.

Re: File Open - shortcut to folder (Word97)

The Places Bar was introduced in Office 2000; Chris is using Office 97... Perhaps an incentive for Chris to upgrade to a newer version of Office? <img src=/S/grin.gif border=0 alt=grin width=15 height=15>

Re: File Open - shortcut to folder (Word97)

Whoops! <img src=/S/blush.gif border=0 alt=blush width=15 height=15> Thanks for catching this. It's been awhile since I've used 97. I suppose it's also possible to start the folder name with a unique letter or number. Then you can type the letter or number in the filename box & press <enter>. Then only files that start with that letter or number will be shown. It's still an extra step, but???

File Open - dialogue box changes (Word97)

I recall over a year ago a discussion of the File Open dialogue box, in particular a lament that the display could not be modified - something about it being impossible to force Word to show the extreme left of the list.

For example, if one had fifty folders running A through Z and then one hundred documents running A-Z, the File Open dialogue box was appearing with, say, folders lettered "L onwards at the left hand side, and one had to scroll to the Left to see the folders "A".

Further, it seemed impossible to do anything about this in VBA.

Well, I have just noticed that Word97 has done it.

For several days now I've been staring at my C:GreavesAdmin File Open dialogue, with folders "C" onwards at the LHS, folders "A" through "B" hidden, and my lovely folder "___Shortcut to 42 Div" there at the end of the folders list, followed by the one hundred or so documents.

Very convenient.

Ten minutes ago this all changed - Word97 is now showing folders "A" through "B" and, darn it! - I have to scroll to the RIGHT to see my shortcut folder.

So what?

So, there *IS* something that triggered this change; now I only have to find out what it is. I have a registry dump of my Office8.0WordData folder that I reload occasionally when my toolbars get message up. Various other things to try.

Re: File Open - dialogue box changes (Word97)

The default behavior, if I recall correctly, is for the first non-folder object to be in view. If there are no non-folder objects, then the view would start with the first folder. If you were to switch to Details view (or whatever it was called, the one that shows the multiple columns), is your sort order no longer by Name? That's my only theory. <img src=/S/grin.gif border=0 alt=grin width=15 height=15>

Re: File Open - dialogue box changes (Word97)

Thanks for the comments, I'll experiment a bit bearing in mind your thoughts.

> default ... first non-folder object to be in view.

This is not what I'm seeing. Right now I get twenty folders in view, starting with "19951996" and running to "Web", two columns of ten yellow folders each.

I scroll one to the right and see the remaining two folders ("Web2002" and "WP51"), followed by my yellow Shortcut-to-folder, which (shortcut) is really the first file, and appears there on account of its name "___Shortcut to Div42".

This view, after a scroll-to-the-right, is what I had been seeing these past few weeks.

>If there are no non-folder objects, then the view would start with the first folder.

Right, but I do have both types in the c:greavesadmin folder, and have had since 1995 (grin!)

> If you were to switch to Details view

I can't switch to details view - it appears not to be an option in the File Open of Word97.

Re: File Open - dialogue box changes (Word97)

Although I can't check it, I am sure that you can select Detail view in the File | Open dialog in Word 97. I always used this view when I had Office 97, amd Detail view is mentioned repeatedly in the newsgroups.

Re: File Open - dialogue box changes (Word97)

> select Detail view in the File | Open

You're right - I can, but I have to use a small toolbar-icon like thing. I was looking for a check box or command button with a caption "details". Silly me!

To make matters worse, the File Open has gone back to its earlier idea - of showing me the right-hand end of the folder list and the left-hand end of the files list, with my shortcut smack dab in the middle.

This afternoon I suffered some corruption in a small document, and am wondering whether an image within a document can so throw Word97 off its stride that it - no! Surely THAT wouldn't affect the File Open dialog.

I'm going to pay more attention and try to see what it is that I'm doing that causes Word to change its behaviour.

Re: File Open - dialogue box changes (Word97)

My theory on this topic is that you will only see the files if there is a found one which matches the default file type dropdown. Which translates to: If the File Open dialog is set to (All Files *.*) then I will see the files if one exists in the directory. If the File Open dialog is set to (Word *.doc) and there is no .doc files in the directory then I see the first folder but if there is at least one .doc file then I will see the first one.

Re: File Open - dialogue box changes (Word97)

> The default behavior,

Ok. I think I have it now. The Deviant ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H erratic behaviour appears to be directly linked to the maximum length of file names within the folder.

My folders and names shot wide-ways yet again this morning, and there in almost-plain view was a document titled "A pretty effective way of screwing up your File Open Dialogue box.DOC", or similar. The name started with the letter "A", which brought itself to my attention being one of the filenames visible alongside my __Shortcut names.

I used Explorer to shorten that name and my File Open looked a tad better. I reduced "Several misconceptions about the file open dialogue box.txt" to "Stupid boo boo.txt", and saw more improvements.

I bet if you go into any one of your folders that holds short name files, and create a really long name, you'll see the same thing.

The File Open GUi code must check lengths of all names, then assign column widhts right across the board. It's probably how I'd do it.....